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£1m worth of drugs seized by Cumbria Police

NEARLY £1 million worth of drugs have been seized by Cumbria Police in the last two months.

The ongoing crackdown on drug supply has prevented amphetamine, heroin and cannabis from ending up on the streets of Cumbria, and surrounding counties.

From stopping vehicles that were travelling on the M6, to searching specific properties in local areas, a large quantity of drugs has been seized.

Police from Cumbria have also executed warrants across England, arresting five suspects and recovering £35,000 worth of harvested cannabis bush.

All suspects have been bailed until September.

The investigation, named Operation Maximus, is in relation to a large cannabis grow that was discovered at Maulds Meaburn, near Appleby, in 2012.

Last week twelve detectives travelled across the country in order to execute the warrants at five different locations in Hampshire, Surrey, London and Birmingham.

A quantity of cannabis bush was found at two addresses in the London and Hampshire area, worth up to £35,000.

Furthermore a large sophisticated cannabis grow was found at an address in the West Midlands.

An exact quantity of cannabis from this grow has not yet been obtained but if all the recovered plants had been harvested at maturity the potential street value could be as much as £78,000.

Additional items were also seized which are believed to be connected to the cannabis grow in Cumbria.

“Drugs have a detrimental effect on people’s lives, from those who are caught in the cycle of drug misuse, to the families and friends who have to watch their loved ones deteriorate because of this addiction," said Detective Chief Inspector Rob O’Connor.

“There has been a significant amount of work done in the last few months by officers in Cumbria Constabulary.

“We are dedicated to preventing and removing drugs from the streets of Cumbria, and are also committed to making it difficult for the area to be used as a gateway into other counties.

“The community is our priority and as such we will continue to crackdown on illegal drugs.”

DS Paddy McDonnell, who works in the Drugs Squad for Cumbria Constabulary, added: “Operation Maximus has involved a lot of hard work and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers involved for their dedication. There is still a lot of work to be done, but last week marked an important turning point in the investigation.

“These discoveries come days after the launch of the national Crimestoppers campaign which aims to educate people about cannabis cultivation. We often rely on information from members of the public in order to find cannabis farms and prevent drugs from entering our local communities.”

Anyone with any concerns or suspicions should call Cumbria Police on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

For more information on the Crimestoppers campaign and the signs to spot cannabis cultivation, please visit: www.crimestoppers-uk.org/scratchandsniff